Raytheon-Built AMRAAM And NASAMS Missiles Tested During Thor's Hammer Exercise

Armed forces from Norway, Finland, Switzerland and Turkey successfully fired five Raytheon-built Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) AIM-120C7s as part of the Thor's Hammer flight test campaign in September.

Launched from F-16 and F/A-18 fighter aircraft and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System(NASAMS) ground launchers, the missiles achieved five successful shots on a variety of profiles and targets. Norway shot one AIM-120C7 from a NASAMS High Mobility Launcher and Finland shot two from a NASAMS canister launcher, while Switzerland successfully fired one from an F-18 and Turkey fired one from an F-16.

"AMRAAM is the world's most advanced air dominance weapon, and these successful tests once again demonstrate the missile's extraordinary level of effectiveness and reliability," said Mike Jarrett, vice president of Raytheon's Air Warfare Systems. "Intercepting all five targets from different platforms showcased AMRAAM's versatility across different scenarios for U.S. and allied forces worldwide."

Named for the hammer-wielding god in Norse mythology, the month-long Thor's Hammer exercise marks the completion of developmental testing for the AIM-120C7. NASAMS is the latest and most modern Medium Range Air Defense (MRAD) system.

"The Thor's Hammer exercise allowed the Norwegian Air Force to validate their recently upgraded NASAMS system including the introduction of the High Mobility Launcher, and the Finnish Defense Forces to qualify their newly fielded NASAMS system with the AIM-120C7 missile in a variety of realistic battle scenarios," saidRalph Acaba, vice president of Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business. "NASAMS is one of the most easily manned, trained, and maintained systems in the world."

Fielded in Norway for more than a decade, NASAMS is operationally deployed in the US National Capital Region, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, and an undisclosed country. It is also in production for Oman under the contract received earlier this year.